Bill > S121

This bill establishes the Municipal Capital Partnership Program (MCPP) to assist municipalities in Massachusetts with significant capital projects, defined as those exceeding two million dollars for planning, design, and construction of public facilities like police or fire stations, educational facilities not covered by other state programs, water or sewer treatment plants, roads, bridges, or libraries. The program, overseen by the Secretary of Administration and Finance and the Commissioner of the Department of Communities and Development, will use the Commonwealth's bonding capabilities on a competitive basis, with municipalities needing to get local approval before applying. Projects will be evaluated based on objective criteria such as the municipality's existing debt, other state aid received, its capacity to raise taxes (considering things like Proposition 2 ½ overrides, which are local tax limits), and past state assistance for similar projects, with the goal of equitable treatment. The Commissioner will review and recommend projects annually, with public input, and the Secretary will approve reimbursements ranging from fifty to ninety percent of project costs, with the state authorized to issue up to twenty-five million dollars in bonds to fund the program, and the program will take effect one year after passage.